No doubt when visiting or moving to Florida you quickly notice the small brown lizards which are quite abundant here in south west Florida. So what are these lizards, should you worry about them? Let’s take a few minutes to learn about them.
What You Should Know
First let’s start off by saying these fascinating little creatures do not pose a threat to you or your family. You may hear these little lizards called a number of things, but they are scientifically known as the Anolis Sagrei, or in english, the brown anole. They are abundant in south Florida where it is hot and humid year round. Some people report seeing them in parts of southern Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Hawaii and Southern California. Like so many animals found in Florida, they are not native and considered invasive. Florida does have a native Anole known as the Carolina Anole which are usually bright green and live in trees. These brown anoles feed on the baby green native lizards. This causes a negative impact on the population of their native counterpart. Mating happens late summer into the fall with the females laying 1 egg at a time, usually about every 10 days with with approximately 12 eggs laid in a the breeding season. You might notice most are small in size. The males will grow up to 7-8 inches long with females 3-5 inches long from head to tip of the tail.
Are Brown Lizards Pests?
Even though these lizards are considered invasive, they are not classified as pests. We do not spray for them, or put down chemicals specifically to kill these lizards. Usually you won’t find them in your house unless they get in by accident. They usually don’t come into houses but rather preferring to stay in their territory of flower beds, shrub beds and more. If you do get one in your house you should be able to catch them by placing and bowl over it and then carrying it back outside. When you catch one you may notice that you “broke” their tail off. Don’t worry, you probably didn’t. This is a natural reaction, a defense mechanism to distract a predator. By releasing a squirming tail they hope to distract the threat just enough to make a get away.
Enjoy these little brown lizards and their abundance here in Florida. If you do have any other questions about these or any other animals you may find in your yard, give us a call or complete our online form. With over 30 years experience we know just about every time of animal or insect you might find in your yard.
